The Short Life of a Presidential Aide's Memoir
The memoir of Oei Tjoe Tat, a former minister under President Sukarno, faced significant delays in publication due to political sensitivity and the author's reluctance. The manuscript was eventually championed by various activists and intellectuals before reaching a wider audience.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the challenges of documenting political history in post-colonial nations and the role of intellectuals in preserving suppressed narratives.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Stretching to nearly 600 pages, Oei Tjoe Tat’s memoir almost ended up as a futile endeavor. The former state minister under President Sukarno began writing the account of his life after 1985. His wife, Kwee Loan Nio, better known as Rika, urged him to put his story on paper so their children could come to know the man behind the public figure. Oei had spent nearly 12 years in detention without ever standing trial because of his close association with Sukarno.Stanley Adi Prasetyo, the main editor of Memoar Oei Tjoe Tat: Pembantu Presiden Soekarno (The Memoirs of Oei Tjoe Tat: Assistant to President Sukarno), first read the manuscript in 1986, when Oei was visiting Salatiga, Central Java.
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